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**Sorry this is late, but now I actually know the name of Santa.** I want to apologize to Glenn Burkett how this got spun out of control. My initial complaint wasn't about him. Kens 5 switched the story to make it all about him. They edited out so much. I had spoken with then for over 30 minutes about what happened. My initial complaint was how the bass pro staff handled the situation. I was upset over the actual situation. Mr. Burkett, I am sorry we scared you with Caleb....
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Hmmm... The initial complaint wasn't about "Santa"?
I am beyond upset with the experience we just had at 1:00 pm today at the Bass Pro Shop here in San Antonio, Texas. We have been going to Bass Pro every year for years now with our 4 older kids and now we were bring our 1 year child. Our youngest is chronically ill with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy and to be honest this could be his last Christmas due to the fact there is no cure and very little research done for his disease. Anyways, we got to the shop at 12:00 pm and received a ticket to Santa like every other person and waited in line for a hour like every other person with no complaint. We not once asked for any special treatment to skip the line or anything. We gave our ticket to the lady when we were next. We hurried up to disconnect Caleb from his vent to put him on an HME so that Santa would have an easier time holding him on his lap for his picture. Santa didn't even sit. I barley even had time to move out of the way of the picture when they snapped the picture because he just stood there. We were rushed off where as other kids and parents had time to get ready and so on. Santa even took time to try and convince the little girl in front us to sit on his lap with no prevail. Yet, he couldn't even take the time to sit with a child who wouldn't even fight him? I was already upset at this point and had asked if Caleb could at least sit on his lap so that I may get a pic. The ladies told me no because of copyright I couldn't take personal photos with my own camera. Yet multiple parents ahead of us and the one right after us was allowed to take pictures with their cell phone and cameras with the ladies looking straight at them with nothing said. Is it Bass Pro's policy to rush the disabled, but healthy people it is fine to dilly dally? We were moving faster than the other people despite caring multiple medical equipment. Caleb's dad, his home health nurse, and myself spoke with a manager named Ed and he stated about copyright on the photo Bass Pro takes and that it's posted. We checked and nothing was posted or even said. From all this he tells us he has the right to refuse service. We felt like we were singled out. Yes, we got our picture, but it's the principle of it all. I mean the family in front of us got multiple pictures both on their cell phone and multiple photos (singles of each of the 5 kids and also family pics) from the Bass Pro staff with plenty of patience for it with no objections. We wanted a photo like everyone else. Here we were being rushed like we were an inconvenience. I just wanted the same common courtesy for my son to get the same treatment as the other kids to be able to sit on Santa's lap and have the same amount of time that need to be taken so that we could get a photo. We just wanted a pleasant happy memory of our child because we do not know when he will pass. If it is Bass Pro's policy for no personal pictures to be taken then it should be clearly posted and the employees should be informing the customer when turning in the ticket. Instead we left angry, insulted, and hurt that we were treated this way. I hope other disabled children aren't treated this way.
She really seems like a piece of work! I feel bad for Santa and Bass Pro, she was pointing the finger at Santa and they obviously feared public perception. Notice they didn't specifically point a finger, but said this was not the experience they want remembered.
**Sorry this is late, but now I actually know the name of Santa.** I want to apologize to Glenn Burkett how this got spun out of control. My initial complaint wasn't about him. Kens 5 switched the story to make it all about him. They edited out so much. I had spoken with then for over 30 minutes about what happened. My initial complaint was how the bass pro staff handled the situation. I was upset over the actual situation. Mr. Burkett, I am sorry we scared you with Caleb....
---
Hmmm... The initial complaint wasn't about "Santa"?
I am beyond upset with the experience we just had at 1:00 pm today at the Bass Pro Shop here in San Antonio, Texas. We have been going to Bass Pro every year for years now with our 4 older kids and now we were bring our 1 year child. Our youngest is chronically ill with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy and to be honest this could be his last Christmas due to the fact there is no cure and very little research done for his disease. Anyways, we got to the shop at 12:00 pm and received a ticket to Santa like every other person and waited in line for a hour like every other person with no complaint. We not once asked for any special treatment to skip the line or anything. We gave our ticket to the lady when we were next. We hurried up to disconnect Caleb from his vent to put him on an HME so that Santa would have an easier time holding him on his lap for his picture. Santa didn't even sit. I barley even had time to move out of the way of the picture when they snapped the picture because he just stood there. We were rushed off where as other kids and parents had time to get ready and so on. Santa even took time to try and convince the little girl in front us to sit on his lap with no prevail. Yet, he couldn't even take the time to sit with a child who wouldn't even fight him? I was already upset at this point and had asked if Caleb could at least sit on his lap so that I may get a pic. The ladies told me no because of copyright I couldn't take personal photos with my own camera. Yet multiple parents ahead of us and the one right after us was allowed to take pictures with their cell phone and cameras with the ladies looking straight at them with nothing said. Is it Bass Pro's policy to rush the disabled, but healthy people it is fine to dilly dally? We were moving faster than the other people despite caring multiple medical equipment. Caleb's dad, his home health nurse, and myself spoke with a manager named Ed and he stated about copyright on the photo Bass Pro takes and that it's posted. We checked and nothing was posted or even said. From all this he tells us he has the right to refuse service. We felt like we were singled out. Yes, we got our picture, but it's the principle of it all. I mean the family in front of us got multiple pictures both on their cell phone and multiple photos (singles of each of the 5 kids and also family pics) from the Bass Pro staff with plenty of patience for it with no objections. We wanted a photo like everyone else. Here we were being rushed like we were an inconvenience. I just wanted the same common courtesy for my son to get the same treatment as the other kids to be able to sit on Santa's lap and have the same amount of time that need to be taken so that we could get a photo. We just wanted a pleasant happy memory of our child because we do not know when he will pass. If it is Bass Pro's policy for no personal pictures to be taken then it should be clearly posted and the employees should be informing the customer when turning in the ticket. Instead we left angry, insulted, and hurt that we were treated this way. I hope other disabled children aren't treated this way.
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Sure seems to me like she's blaming "Santa".
People like her need to just go away. Preferably forever.
My understanding of this incident (from another article and news story) is that the parents were offended because Santa did not want to hold or even touch the baby at all. The implication seems to be that this Santa stood up, held the baby and had the picture taken as quickly as possible so he didn't have to deal with the baby.
The parents were trying to have a "normal" experience that all other parents have. Even though their baby is sick, this is one time the baby (and parents) could have been like every other parent and baby at Christmas time. Even if it only lasted a few moments, it would have been a moment captured on paper for a lifetime.
Given what they've been through, I just don't think it's asking too much of Santa to sit down and hold the baby and take a freaking picture. Probably take less than 5 minutes.
Are the parents overreacting? Maybe. Given with what they're dealing with, I'm more inclined to sympathize with them than Santa.
Merry Christmas.
So you are going to blame a guy in Santa suit who is probably working his 3 rd job to make ends meet and just doing the best he can? Maybe he was afraid the baby would puke all over him so he stood up and didn,t want any puke on his outfit? I have dealt with these special needs parents before. It is all about them and their child. Most are demanding and get belligerent when they don't get their way and use the child as a "prop" to further their cause. Enough is enough!
First the article says this...
"Caleb's family wanted him to experience sitting on Santa's lap."
Followed up by this...
"The company offered Self a gift certificate and a one-on-one photo session for Caleb and Santa. Self declined the offer, and instead suggested Bass Pro Shops donate the money to the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation."
If the family REALLY wanted to give their son the experience, why did they not take up BPS up on their offer for the one-on-one session?
The things people find to be "offended" about are just pathetic. Sounds like Santa was trying to help the parents by getting this done as quickly as possible so the kid could be put back on his breathing apparatus. To me, it sounds more like selfish, irresponsible parents to do this to the kid in the first place.
Reading Santa's reply on the mother's facebook post, I must say he is a very humble and gracious person. He could have very well lashed back her, and he didn't. He handled the whole situation like a true gentleman. Hopefully, going forward, this mother and others will think twice before going on a publicity pity party. I'm pretty sure this woman set out to make Santa and the store look like cruel and discriminatory monsters mistreating a poor little dying baby, but instead she wound up looking like a self righteous, entitled, woe is me, attention seeker. Backfired big time.
I'll assume the mom is just a bundle of anxiety having a child that ill, but I'll also stand by my belief that most people should not be on social media because they don't know what they are doing or understand how crazy things can get.
I'll assume the mom is just a bundle of anxiety having a child that ill, but I'll also stand by my belief that most people should not be on social media because they don't know what they are doing or understand how crazy things can get.
Yes, but I have no doubt this woman knew exactly what she was doing. She just didn't get the response she wanted, largely, so she decided to play dumb and try to say she didn't actually say what she very clearly and blatantly said.
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